Stay
by DdraigCoch
Summary: Ayame gets caught in a snow storm but will anyone come looking for him? Aya/Tori/shigure if you squint. Written for Advent 2009.


Title: Stay

Advent No.9

Prompt: Furba (any), Candy Cane  
Requested by: RoseWalker & my loving boyfriend Kit  
Notes: The story got away from me, and in the end the candy cane scene didn't fit. I'll redraft it and post it later :)  
Disclaimer: Not mine! Just playing with them. I make no money from this and mean only to help spread christmassy joy. Don't sue, or Santa will leave you coal!

Things were dark and silent and cold for a long time. Ayame had no way of knowing just how long he'd been out in the sudden snow storm, but if he'd had to guess from the way his small body was refusing to respond and even breathing was taking a conscious effort at his lungs began to freeze he'd have answered with a resounding 'too long!'. He'd managed to call Gure just before transforming though, so at least someone was looking for him. Right? Shigure wouldn't leave him to freeze to death. Neither would Yuki, he was sure. His little brother may not have the warmth of love for him yet but Yuki was a kind boy at heart, he wouldn't let his brother become a snake-pop... Right? And Hatori would definitely come. He had to come. Someone had to come. They had to find him... Right? Still frightened the dark suddenly became much darker and even the cold disappeared.

"H-Hatori I found something! Over here!"

"He... Is he alive?"

"Get out of their way, rat."

Quite shuffling of many pairs of feet as they gathered around the frozen little snake, tightly coiled on himself and found half buried in his bright clothes. Never had they been so glad to see the eye watering colours.

"He's alive, barely. Shigure?"

"I've got him."

When he next came around, he was still in his snake form and discovered very quickly that not only did everything hurt but that he was, surprisingly, not dead. At least he didn't think that he was. Being dead couldn't possibly hurt this much, and he was equally sure they couldn't whimper either. Something warm and wonderfully soothing covered him and stroked firmly, helping to ease the worst edge of the pain. He wanted to open his eyes to see who had found him in the end and was apparently acting as his bed if the warmth radiating from beneath were any indication. A pity that his eyelids wouldn't open then. That pathetic little whimper came again.

"Hush, Aya. It's ok. We've got you."

Gure. That was Shigure's voice! His best friends had found him, were taking care of him! They had found him. Relief washed over him, and this time when the darkness came he went into it without fear. Gure and Tori would be there to make sure he woke up.

Shigure hadn't let go of Ayame's tiny form since they'd found him in the snow three days ago, except when Hatori had demanded that he go and walk around to prevent bedsores. On those occasions he only surrendered the fragile form to the Doctor's care. So what if Yuki felt snubbed by it? There would be plenty he could do when Ayame was back in his human form, and until then... well he didn't trust anyone else to care enough or know enough to ease the man's mind. There was a noise in the doorway and he glanced up from where he'd been stroking the still too-cold scales, to see the missing member of their trio hovering in the doorway, a worried frown on his handsome face.

"Any changes I should know about?"

Shigure smiled tiredly up at the Doctor and gave him the most encouraging news he'd been able to give in three days of worrying, no sleep and too much coffee.

"He woke up."

When he opened his eyes next, he knew immediately that he was curled up on someone different. It wasn't as warm, and there was no soothing stroking to ease his painful muscles, but somehow he felt even safer under what had to be a stationary hand than he had with Shigure. Only one person it could possibly be then.

"T-Tori...?" Was that his voice? It was so weak and so strained. Sounded nothing like him at all.

"Ayame?" He'd never heard his name said with such worry and relief before, but he was so tired he couldn't dredge up a response. Maybe it made him a little bit happy because it meant Hatori cared right? Maybe... Maybe he wasn't just a friend shaped millstone around the dragon's neck. Yes. Defiantly happy. "You recognised me without opening your eyes? Well, at least we can rule out brain damage. You probably want to be filled in." A warm but soft sigh ghosted over him, better than any tropical breeze. "You've been out for nearly a week, and Shigure and I have been warming you up slowly. Yes, Yuki has come to visit. He wanted to help, so we've sent him to help at the shop with Mine. You're at my house, in my bedroom, and we're going to make certain that you're going to be just fine."

How did Hatori always know the right things to say?

"Sleep, Ayame. Shigure and I will be here when you wake up."

He was already asleep when a soft kiss was feathered across his head.

+Epilogue+

When Ayame suddenly turned back into himself a day later it was a moment of great relief, happiness and acute embarrassment for a dragon. A dog found it incredibly amusing to watch him scramble out from underneath the graceful but surprised and very naked form of Ayame Sohma, who sat there like a child who's just fallen and was wondering how they got there.

"How are you feeling, my darling Aya?"

Ayame smiled at him, even as he was burying himself eagerly under the nearly too warm blankets. Then the silver head disappeared entirely, and for half a second they thought he'd turned back – until it clicked that he was just looking for the warmest spot. Shigure grinned, clearing the distance between him and the bed in no time. Kicking off the slippers Hatori made him wear, he climbed in next to the platinum haired man and found himself glomped for his heat.

"Hatori, join us?" Shigure chuckled as Ayame curled around him, seeking the warmest parts of his body. He could see the 'no' forming on his cousin's lips though, so before he could say anything the dog neatly slipped a concerned frown into place. "He's still really cold, I'm worried." 

It was with great satisfaction that he lifted the blankets for Hatori and along with Ayame pulled the third member of the trio down into their cuddle pile. They wriggled around until the snake was somehow wound around both his closest friends, and they around him. Floating on a cloud of warmth, comfort and the unconditional love of the two men either side of him, Ayame grinned slowly up at the ceiling, piquing Shigure's curiosity.

"Nice day dreams?"

Ayame smiled drowsily at him, and shuffled a little closer to plant a kiss first on the corner of the dog's mouth and then turned awkwardly to give Hatori the same kiss. So what if the lingering aches flared? The look on his face was worth it. "Mmm, I hope not. If I've day dreamed that the two of you stayed with me, I'm not waking up."


End file.
